1 Corinthians 7

1NowG1161 forG4012 the mattersG3739 you wrote aboutG1125: It is goodG2570 to abstain from sexual relationsG444G3361G680G1135.1 2ButG1161 becauseG1223 there is so much sexual immoralityG4202, each manG1538 should haveG2192 hisG1438 own wifeG1135, andG2532 each womanG1538 her ownG2398 husbandG435.

3TheG3588 husbandG435 should fulfillG591 his marital dutyG3782 toG3588 his wifeG1135, andG1161 likewiseG3668G2532 theG3588 wifeG1135 toG3588 her husbandG435. 4TheG3588 wifeG1135 does notG3756 have authority overG1850 her ownG2398 bodyG4983, butG235 theG3588 husbandG435. LikewiseG3668G2532 theG3588 husbandG435 does notG3756 have authority overG1850 his ownG2398 bodyG4983, butG235 theG3588 wifeG1135.

5Do notG3361 depriveG650 each otherG240, exceptG1487G3385G302 byG1537 mutual consentG4859 and forG4314 a timeG2540, soG2443 you may devote yourselvesG4980 to prayerG4335. ThenG2532 comeG1510 togetherG1909 againG3825, so thatG2443 SatanG4567 will not temptG3361G3985 youG4771 throughG1223 yourG4771 lack of self-controlG192. 6I sayG3004 thisG3778 asG2596 a concessionG4774, notG3756 asG2596 a commandG2003. 7I wish thatG2309 allG3956 menG444 wereG1510 asG5613 I amG1683. ButG235 eachG1538 man hasG2192 his ownG2398 giftG5486 fromG1537 GodG2316; oneG3588 has thisG3779 gift, anotherG3588 has thatG3779.

8NowG1161 to theG3588 unmarriedG22 andG2532 widowsG5503 I sayG3004 this: It is goodG2570 for themG846 to remainG1437G3306 unmarried, asG5613 I amG2504. 9ButG1161 ifG1487 they cannot control themselvesG3756G1467, let them marryG1060. ForG1063 it isG1510 betterG2909 to marryG1060 thanG2228 to burn with passionG4448.

10

To theG3588 marriedG1060 I give this commandG3853 (notG3756 IG1473, butG235 theG3588 LordG2962): A wifeG1135 must not separateG3361G5563 fromG575 her husbandG435. 11ButG1161 ifG1437 sheG5563 does, she must remainG3306 unmarriedG22 or elseG2228 be reconciledG2644 toG3588 her husbandG435. AndG2532 a husbandG435 must not divorceG3361G863 his wifeG1135.

12

To theG3588 restG3062 IG1473 say thisG3004 (I, notG3756 theG3588 LordG2962): IfG1487 aG5100 brotherG80 hasG2192 an unbelievingG571 wifeG1135 andG2532 sheG3778 is willingG4909 to liveG3611 withG3326 himG846, he must not divorceG3361G863 herG846. 13AndG2532 ifG1487 aG5100 womanG1135 hasG2192 an unbelievingG571 husbandG435 andG2532 heG3778 is willingG4909 to liveG3611 withG3326 herG846, she must not divorceG3361G863 him. 14ForG1063 theG3588 unbelievingG571 husbandG435 is sanctifiedG37 throughG1722 his believing wifeG1135, andG2532 theG3588 unbelievingG571 wifeG1135 is sanctifiedG37 throughG1722 her believing husbandG80. OtherwiseG1893G686 yourG4771 childrenG5043 would beG1510 uncleanG169, butG1161 nowG3568 they areG1510 holyG40.

15ButG1161 ifG1487 theG3588 unbelieverG571 leavesG5563, let him goG5563. TheG3588 believing brotherG80 orG2228 sisterG79 is not boundG3756G1402 inG1722 suchG5108 cases. GodG2316 has calledG2564 youG47712 to live inG1722 peaceG1515. 16HowG5101 do you knowG1492, wifeG1135, whetherG1487 you will saveG4982 your husbandG435? OrG2228 howG5101 do you knowG1492, husbandG435, whetherG1487 you will saveG4982 your wifeG1135?

Live Your Calling

17RegardlessG1487G3361, each oneG1538 should leadG4043 the life that theG3588 LordG2962 has assignedG3307 to him and to which GodG2316 has calledG2564 him. ThisG3779 is what I prescribeG1299 inG1722 allG3956 theG3588 churchesG1577. 18Was a manG5100 already circumcisedG4059 when he was calledG2564? He should not become uncircumcisedG3361G1986. Was a manG5100 still uncircumcisedG1722G203 when calledG2564? He should not be circumcisedG3361G4059. 19CircumcisionG4061 isG1510 nothingG3762 andG2532 uncircumcisionG203 isG1510 nothingG3762. KeepingG5084 God’sG2316 commandmentsG1785 is what counts.

20EachG1538 one should remainG3306 inG1722 theG3588 situationG2821 he was inG3739 when he was calledG2564. 21Were you a slaveG1401 when you were calledG2564? Do not let it concernG3361G3199 youG4771—butG235 ifG1487 you canG1410 gainG1096 your freedomG1658, take the opportunityG5530. 22ForG1063 he whoG3588 was a slaveG1401 when he was calledG2564 byG1722 the LordG2962 isG1510 the Lord’sG2962 freedmanG558. ConverselyG3668, he whoG3588 was a free manG1658 when he was calledG2564 isG1510 Christ’sG5547 slaveG1401.

23You were boughtG59 at a priceG5092; do notG3361 becomeG1096 slavesG1401 of menG444. 24BrothersG80, each oneG1538 should remainG3306 inG1722 theG3778 situation he was inG1722 when God called himG2564G3844G2316.

The Unmarried and Widowed

25NowG1161 aboutG4012 virginsG3933, I haveG2192 noG3756 commandG2003 from the LordG2962, butG1161 I giveG1325 a judgmentG1106 asG5613 one who byG5259 the Lord’sG2962 mercyG1653 isG1510 trustworthyG4103. 26Because ofG1223 theG3588 presentG17643 crisisG318, I thinkG3543 it isG5225 goodG2570 for a manG444 to remainG1510 asG3779 he is. 27Are you committedG1210 to a wifeG1135? Do notG3361 seekG2212 to be releasedG3080. Are you freeG3089 ofG575 commitment? Do notG3361 look forG2212 a wifeG1135. 28ButG1161 ifG1437 you do marryG1060, you have not sinnedG3756G264. AndG2532 ifG1437 a virginG3933 marriesG1060, she has not sinnedG3756G264. ButG1161 those who marry will faceG2192 troublesG2347 inG3588 this lifeG4561, andG1161 IG1473 want to spareG5339 youG4771 this.

29What I am sayingG5346, brothersG80, is thatG3778 theG3588 timeG2540 isG1510 shortG4958. From now onG3063G2443G2532 those whoG3588 haveG2192 wivesG1135 should liveG1510 as ifG5613 they hadG2192 noneG3361; 30those whoG3588 weepG2799, as ifG5613 theyG3361G2799 did not; those whoG3588 are joyfulG5463, as ifG5613 they were notG3361G5463; those whoG3588 make a purchaseG59, as ifG5613 they had nothingG3361G2722; 31andG2532 those whoG3588 useG5530 the things ofG3588 this worldG2889, as ifG5613 not dependent on themG3361G2710. ForG1063 thisG3778 worldG2889 in its present formG4976 is passing awayG3855.

32

I wantG2309 youG4771 to beG1510 free from concernG275. TheG3588 unmarried manG22 is concerned aboutG3309 theG3588 work of theG3588 LordG2962, howG4459 he can pleaseG700 theG3588 LordG2962. 33ButG1161 theG3588 married manG1060 is concerned aboutG3309 theG3588 affairs of thisG3588 worldG2889, howG4459 he can pleaseG700 his wifeG1135, 34andG2532 his interests are dividedG3307. TheG3588 unmarriedG22 womanG1135 or virginG3933 is concerned aboutG3309 theG3588 work of theG3588 LordG2962, howG2443 she can beG1510 holyG40 inG3588 bothG2532 bodyG4983 andG2532 spiritG4151. ButG1161 theG3588 married womanG1060 is concerned aboutG3309 theG3588 affairs of thisG3588 worldG2889, howG4459 she can pleaseG700 her husbandG435.

35

I am sayingG3004 thisG3778 forG4314 yourG4771 ownG846 goodG4851, notG3756 toG2443 restrictG1911G1029 youG4771, butG235 in order to promoteG4314 proper decorumG2158 andG2532 undividedG563 devotionG2145 to theG3588 LordG2962.

36HoweverG1161, ifG1487 someoneG5100 thinksG3543 he is acting inappropriatelyG807 towardG1909 hisG846 betrothedG3933, and ifG1437 she isG1510 beyond her youthG5230 andG2532 they oughtG3784 to marry,4 let him doG4160 asG3739 he wishesG2309; he is not sinningG3756G264; they should get marriedG1060. 37ButG1161 theG3739 man who is firmlyG1476 establishedG2476 inG1722 hisG846 heartG2588 and underG2192 noG3361 constraintG318, withG2192 controlG1849 overG4012 his willG2307 andG2532 resolveG2919 inG1722 his heartG2588 not to marry theG1438 virginG3933,5 he will doG4160 wellG2573.

38So thenG5620G2532, he whoG3588 marries theG3588 virginG3933 doesG4160 wellG2573, butG2532 he whoG3588 does notG3361 marryG1061 her doesG4160 even betterG2908.

39A wifeG1135 is boundG1210 to herG846 husbandG435 as long asG3745G5550 he livesG2198. ButG1161 ifG1437 her husbandG435 diesG2837, she isG1510 freeG1658 to marryG1060 anyoneG3739 she wishesG2309, as long asG3440 he belongs toG1722 the LordG2962.6 40InG2596 myG1699 judgmentG1106, howeverG1161, she isG1510 happierG3107 ifG1437 she remainsG3306 as she isG3779. AndG1161 I think thatG1380 I tooG2504 haveG2192 the SpiritG4151 of GodG2316.